(KTEN) — If you've ever driven through Grayson County, you've probably stopped at a convenience store once owned by Bill Douglass.

The man behind Sherman-based Douglass Distributing was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Patriot Award by Texas Rep. Pat Fallon (R-District 4).

This award recognizes individuals who have dedicated their life to making the world a better place.

"I think honestly this award was intended for people like Bill Douglass, cut from that cloth," said Fallon.

After serving in the Marine Corps, Bill Douglass went to work in the oil industry with ExxonMobil's sales team.

After climbing the ladder and ending up working at the company's headquarters in Manhattan, they asked him to move to Saudi Arabia.

He said "no," and asked his family, "Where do you want to live?"

They said, "Texas."

So in 1981, Douglass moved to Sherman and started Douglass Distributing, a company he recently sold to Offen Petroleum. 

"Really he's one of the pillars of the Grayson County community, and one of the leaders," Fallon said. "He's a servant leader, and Bill cares, and puts others before himself."

Fallon added that even though Douglass has accomplished so much in his life, he continues to volunteer, and be involved, to give back to the people around him.

"You become what you think about all day long, and if you don't like what you're thinking about, you need to change that approach," Douglass said. "And I became what I thought about... and it worked out really well."

From joining the Marine Corps to staring his business, he's always had the "gung ho" attitude to stay positive and go after what he wants.

"He's so active," Fallon said. "He volunteers in a myriad of capacities, and he's really lent his leadership, and believes in volunteering, so I couldn't think of a better person to award the very first Congressional Patriot Award to Grayson County."